Katy Perry shows off ‘Gurl’ power

Singer to host Teen Choice Awards

Two years ago Katy Perry kissed a girl, and the world liked it. Now, the world is seeing a lot more of her.

The burgeoning songstress, who started out as gospel singer Katy Hudson after leaving high school during freshman year, has fought an uphill battle on her way to the top of the charts, leaving a trail of adoring fans and discontented critics along the way.

Fox’s 2010 Teen Choice Awards host is lending her voice to Smurfette for the movie re-make of 1980s television classic “The Smurfs” and later this month will release her sophomore record “Teenage Dream” with Capitol Record Group.

Her 2008 record “One of the Boys” inspired Spin’s Stacy Anderson to write that it “plods with formulaic, hormone-heavy Kelly Clarkson outtakes, or perhaps Liz Phair during her bleak, sparkly descent.” Jon Caramanica of the New York Times started his review on the fence and also launched south: “Perry is curiously blank on her major-label debut album.”

But even without critical approval, “One of the Boys” was certified platinum by the Record Industry Association of America.

Dropped from at least three labels (including Island Def Jam and Columbia) before signing with Capitol, Perry is now an international topliner with a No. 2 hit (“California Gurls,” featuring Snoop Dogg) on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, second to Eminem as of the past week.

Hosting this year’s Teen Choice Awards, Perry will be joined by such presenters as the Kardashian sisters, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Cory Monteith and Mark Salling of “Glee” fame and performances by Jason DeRulo and ex-boyfriend Travie McCoy.